


Just Getting Started

by onemistressnomaster



Category: Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Fresh Start, Gen, Mention of Miscarriages, Original Character(s), original dog character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 05:04:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20325553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemistressnomaster/pseuds/onemistressnomaster
Summary: Feeling the need for a fresh start, Picard takes a new position and receives a surprising gift.





	Just Getting Started

**Author's Note:**

> Set between Nemesis and the new series focusing on Picard's later adventurers.  
See the notes at the end for my take on some of the spoilers from the new series.  
Oh, and of course, all standard declaimers apply. If I owned even a tiny piece of Star Trek I would have a better apartment.

Life was changing, but that was to be expected. As he looked around the new office in his new / old home, Jean-Luc Picard could hardly believe that he had chosen to leave the life he had known for over sixty years and take an Earth based position. Yet he could not deny that over the last few years the Enterprise has begun to feel less and less like home. 

A series of events had seem to conspire to remove everyone familiar to him from his daily life. 

Data's death had hit him hard. Though he had admitted that he had mixed emotions over Will Riker leaving the Enterprise, Picard had been looking forward to seeing where his new position as first office would take Data. In the years that followed, Picard found his mind wandering to the great potential lost with Data. The guilt would gnawing at him. The Enterprise had just felt colder without Data. 

When Beverly left for Starfleet Medical she had taken a part of him with her. She understood him like no one else, the way his past shaped his present. Having her around had kept a piece of Jack in his life. He had never really seen much of Jack in Wesley, but when he did see glimpses of his father in the boy, it was Beverly who understood the ache those reminders caused. She had helped him put Jack's ghost to rest. By doing so he had finally allowed himself to grow close with others again. She had awakened a piece of his heart he thought was long gone. Without Beverly the ship had lost some of its spirit. Each new assignment felt more exhausting than exhilarating .

They remained close friends, but Picard had come to the conclusion that he and Beverely were not fated for more than that. During their years apart, Beverely had entered into a relationship with research botanist she met at a conference. By all reports they were quite happy together. He had every intention of evaluating this man in Beverly’s life for himself soon. 

Will and Deanna's departure for the Titan seemed all the harder to handle coinciding as it did with Beverly’s leaving and Data’s death. Deanna had steadfastly refused to say goodbye. Going instead with the more Betazoid leave taking “until we meet again". She had known he would always need her steadying influence to stop him from retreating in the safety of his emotional cave again.

Picard would never be able to put into words the mixture of loss and pride he had felt watching Will walk out of his ready room heading to command of his own. Picard couldn’t imagine any father could have been prouder of a son. 

Biology be damned. They are family. 

Deanna and Will remained in contact when possible. Picard treasured each conversation he had with either of them. Still the ship had felt quieter without them.

Just three years later, Geordie LaForge had taken a position on Utopia Planitia working to design and build the next generation of ships. Starfleet need to replace the ships lost or too heavily damaged during the Dominion and Borg wars to continue in service. His partnership with Leah Braham had quickly taking on a personal element to it. Picard knew that LaForge was trying not rush the relationship out of respect for Leah's late husband, but there was no doubt in his mind that one day in the not so distant future he would attending a wedding. Geordie had suffered the heartbreak of losing Data just had Picard had and the two of them had grown closer in their shared grief. Picard could not be happier to see LaForge coming out of these hard times with both a woman and a job he loved. After LaForge left, the Enterprise seemed a little bit darker, like the lights had been slightly, but permanently dimmed.

Surprisingly, only a couple of years later, Worf, who had been Picard’s first officer for nearly five years was offered and accepted a position as part of the embassy staff on Q’onoS . Picard was proud of the man Worf had become. Despite his own personal tragedies, Worf was striving to prevent more unnecessary bloodshed. As a Klingon raised by humans, Worf was working hard to be sure that the Empire and the Federation worked together to forge a peace that would continue to maintain the balance of power in the quadrant for decades to come. Though Worf had left the Enterprise before, this time it had a more permanent feel to it, like he would not be surprising Picard by seemly randomly popping out of the turbolift when his travels took him close to the Enterprise. To Picard the very air he breathed had felt stale after he bid farewell to the last of his original crew. 

Somewhere in a desk draw was a data padd containing a photo taken not long after the launch of the Enterprise-D showing the original members of the senior staff. Death had stolen two of them and the rest had scattered on the wind. Even the Enterprise-D was long gone. The E was a good ship, but she had none of the soft lines and gentle feel of the D. Walking down the corridors of the E Picard would find himself looking for familiar faces and finding none. The rooms were the same, the feeling was not. He could not shake the sensation that he was living in someone else’s house. 

Picard had enjoyed training the new offices under his command. Influencing their way of thinking and reacting to any given situation. As the years went by, he had begun to think it was his job to curtail the more militant stance he feared was slowly being integrated into Starfleet. Far too many of the young ensigns were going out into space looking for a fight rather than to explore the unknown. The unknown was becoming something to be feared rather than embraced. Years before Picard had quipped to his older crew “Does anyone remember when we use to be explorers?” Those words came more and more frequently to his mind with each passing year.

The timing had just seemed right. After years of hard service the Enterprise was in need of a massive upgrade, as well as a crew rotation. As the plans for the refit had taken shape, Picard received a message from Deanna asking after his plans during the down time he was going to have while the ship was in space dock. The short message was accompanied by an article about Admiral Guise’s retirement and the search for his replacement as Starfleet’s refugee relocation coordinator. At first Picad could not see why she had sent the article, but the seed had been planted and slowly it grew in Picard‘s mind. This was the job he needed. A fresh start helping the innocent victims of all the recent conflicts. Even from thousands of lightyears away Deanna had known he needed to make a significant change in his life before the growing darkness could permanently damage his spirit. 

Picard had come to the conclusion that after too many years of turning the civilian population over the other people and moving onto the next assignment, this was his chance to truly help people. As the head of Starfleet:s civilian relocation program, it was now his job to work as a bridge between various relief organizations and Starfleet to relocate, rehouse and rebuild the devastated populations of so many worlds. 

Picard could only imagine the looks on the committee members faces when they opened his letter of interest in the position. They had practically fallen over themselves selling Picard on the job. 

The fact that the position was based on Earth, allowing him to reconnect with his own native lands was a bonus. His new job did not require that he live or even work in San Francisco. He could work from anywhere with a decent communication setup. He had an assistant working in a small office at Starfleet Headquarters, whose job was to keep the lines of communication open so that Picard was always up to speed on every situation needing his attention. But Picard himself did not need to put in much face to face time with others at Headquarters. He could just as easily sit at a desk in France as in San Francisco. He had chosen to live and work from the vineyard. For too long he had neglected it. Without a Picard in residence the quality of the wine had started to decline. Starfleet may be letting it’s legacy of peace slip, but he was not about the let the Picard family wine legacy slip. Though he was not entirely sure who the next Picard would be to inherit the vineyard, he was determined to hand it down with it’s reputation intact.

His gaze wandered out the window just to the side of his desk. As twilight settled over the vineyard a long missed peace settled in his heart. Only a few weeks into what had been offered as a temporary reassignment, he knew this was the work he was meant to be doing now. He asked for the job to be made permanent and the powers that be had immediately agreed. He had however, refused the promotion to Admiral, James Kirk’s warning about never letting them promote you out of the center seat still rang in his ears from time to time. He wanted to keep his options open, just in case he felt the pull to return to space. This new job only allowed him access to ships for immediate emergency missions. Even then it would be someone else’s ship. The Enterprise may not be his home anymore, but he was not sure he was ready to completely give up the idea of his own command again, someday. 

He had submitted a short list of recommendations for the new Captain of the Enterprise. He knew he had sorely disappointed his newest first office by leaving his name off of the list, but they had never really found a comfortable working rhythm. Picard found him far to quick to judge a situation as hostile. He was nowhere near ready to captain a ship, let alone the flagship, to be the representative of ideals of Starfleet and the Federation. 

Picard had considered adding Will Riker’s name to the list of candidates, but in the end had chosen not to include him. Will was an explorer by nature, Titan’s deep space assignment was a perfect fit for him. Though the explorational mission had been interrupted several times while the Romulans dragged their feet on a new peace treaty, knowing that Will would not quit until a lasting settlement was reached gave Picard hope that there was still a chance to calm the tensions that lurked in every corner of the galaxy. From what Picard had heard Will was doing amazing work out there and the last thing Picard wanted to do to his friend was pull him into the very situation he himself was trying to escape. 

He had always thought it would be the saddest day of his life when he would turn the Enterprise’s command functions over to someone else, but he had done so today without hesitancy, only with a sense of satisfaction in a job well done. 

Picard was ready to let the Enterprise go. 

A soft knock on his office door startled him out of his musings “Sorry to disturb you, sir, but a package requiring your immediate attention has arrived” said his housekeeper. 

As The Picard In Residence, all the vineyard staff deferred to him as “sir”. It was taking some time to get used to that. 

“Abigail, you do not have to call me ‘sir’, Jean-Luc will do just fine,” he replied. 

“Yes, sir” she replied before turning and walking way. 

Picard resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His father had been the ‘sir’ around here for many years and then his late brother, who he suspected of secreting liking the sign of respect just a bit too much. Now it was his turn and after so many years of being ‘sir’ to everyone, he wanted to be ‘Jean-Luc’ again. At least in the privacy of his own home. 

Following Abigail out into the main hall, he was surprised to find a Starfleet courier holding an animal crate by the handle in front of him. The courier held the crate out to Picard, saying “This arrived at Headquarters today. All of the necessary quarantine procedures have been followed. I was told to give it directly to you, sir. And to not let you refuse delivery. ” 

“And, who gave you this order?” Picard asked, eyeing the crate. He could not make out exactly what was in it, but it definitely a living thing. 

“Admiral Hind, sir. But, I believe the request originated with Captain Riker of the Titan.”

_ Will? What is he up to? And, what sort of creature could he possibly be sending me?  _

Knowing Will it could be anything. 

_ _ “Thank you, Ensign. I will take it from here” he said, reaching out for the handle of the crate. 

“Yes, sir. There is also a recorded message on this chip” replied the Ensign, handing Picard a date chip before quickly backing out of the doorway. 

Lifting the crate up to look inside though the small opening on the side, all Picard could make out in the shadowy interior was a dark furry mass nestled in the middle of a plush pillow. It appeared to be asleep. 

Carrying the crating back to his office Picard could not stop wondering and worrying about this surprising development. He hoped he was wrong and he had not just been gifted a new responsibility. 

Gently placing the crate on the floor in front of his desk, he turned his computer monitor around and pressed the data chip into the side. Immediately the screen came to life with an image that both filled Picard’s heart with warm and his stomach with dread. 

Will and Deanna were sitting on their couch. Deanna held a small black and white puppy on her lap. 

_ They wouldn’t send me puppy, would they? Please let me be wrong about this. _ He thought

Will was the first to speak. “Captain, we hope this message finds you well. By now you have received our gift...surprise!?” he cast a somewhat sheepish glance the camera and then one at his wife. 

_ So this was not Will’s idea. _ Thought Picard. 

Deanna continued “Briar had puppies!” she chimed in with an almost over the top cheerfulness. 

_ Ah, that explains so much, _ Picard thought. 

Briar was Deanna’s dog. As a pup she was found as a stowaway on a shuttle Deanna had taken back to the Titan following a trip to Betazed. Though they had put out notices of the puppy’s location, no one had responded and no missing puppies had been reported. In the end it turned out to be a good thing. Briar, so named to commemorate the Briar Patch mission and the change it had brought to the couple’s relationship, had instantly bonded with Deanna and vise versa. The pit bull mix had been a great comfort to both Will and Deanna during the dark days surrounding a string miscarriages Deanna had suffered before the birth of their daughter, Tasha. 

On screen it was Will who continued speaking, “Meet Number One, so named because he was the first born pup of his litter. Two, Three and Four have all been renamed and relocated into good homes. However, little Onesie here as been surprising hard to let go of.“ Will reached over gently giving the pup a scratch behind the ears, pointley ignoring the reproachful look Deanna was giving him. Apparently she did not care for his nickname for the puppy. 

“But, as things are about to get even more crowded around here, we simply can’t keep him” Deanna said, moving the puppy over to her husband’s lap to reveal a noticeable roundness to her midsection. Picard realized what she was really saying and a smile blossomed across his face. 

“Yes,” she continued, a smile of her own lighting up her face, “we are expecting a second girl in just over five months.” She shared a loving smile with Will before turning back to the camera. “As Number One subbornly refuses to take an other name, neither one of us could help but think that there was a bit of destiny at work here.” 

Will took over at this point, ” After talking it over with Tasha, we have decided that there is no one better to take care of our little...grandpuppy...than you”

After fifteen years of literally being between the two of them, Picard could practically read the words in Deanna’s mind as she glared at her husband “ _ Grandpuppy, really?” _

For his part, Riker just shrugged, as if to say “ _ I am open to suggestions if you have a better term for it _ ”

Again turning her attention back to the camera, Deanna seemed to look directly into Picard’s soul, “We also though you could use some unconditional companionship” 

“Someone to watch your back, you could say” Will chimed in, flashing a smile down at the puppy in his lap that hinted at a conspiracy between the two of them. 

He earned another glare from his wife and one from his former commanding officer. 

Deanna added “You should be receiving a delivery of puppy supplies anytime now. We really hope you will see this as the gift of love it is meant to be.” All three of them on the couch looked at the camera as she finished “We miss you and we send you all our love. Until we meet again.”

The screen went blank. Picard released a heavy sigh. 

What was he going to do with a puppy? Yes, there were dogs around the vineyard, but they were working dogs meant to keep various small creatures away from the vines, not pets. And certainly not “companions”. He knew Deanna meant well, but he really preferred his pets to low maintenance, like a fish. Dogs required planning and attention. 

Speaking of which, he supposed it was time he got a good look at his “gift”. 

He looked at the crate and alarm shot through him. The latch on top was open. Had it opened when he set the crate down several minutes ago? Bending down he opened the crate completely. It was empty!

Where had the puppy gone? 

Picard quickly looked around the office, his eyes focused downward certain he was going to find a puddle on the antique carpet. 

Feeling slightly ridiculous he called out “Number One?”. The puppy did not appear in response to his name. 

He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Had his desk chair just moved? Moving around the desk, Picard quickly spotted the admittedly adorable puppy walking in short circles around the seat of his chair. 

Realizing he was being watched, Number One gave Picard a look that appeared to be part challenge and part bashfulness. After a moment of hesitation, he released a mighty yawn and laid down, sprawling across the seat of the chair. 

Picard could not help the laugh that bubbled up inside of him. 

“Really, Number One? Five minutes and you are already in my chair?”

May be destiny really was at work here. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of mixed feeling about the new series. I am withholding any judgement until the final product comes out. However, all the speculation about the dog and his name caught my attention and my brain would not leave me alone. There are a lot of idea out there as to the meaning of the dog's name and the message behind it. I don't believe there is one, I think it's just cute. I also don't believe Picard would name his dog Number One. Too personal of a name for him. He tends to name things after explores anyway, Livingston the Lion fish for example. No, giving things slight odd, but meaningful names is more of a Riker thing. And so this story was written from the ending to the beginning.  
This was my first time writing a TNG story since the days when fan fiction was the realm of a bunch of us geeks passing notebooks around study hall some time in the previous century. Any feedback is welcome.


End file.
